Human Experience OneShot
by Annama
Summary: Pointless and sweet fluffy one-shot taking place in Twilght after the last chapter and before the epilogue. It's how I imagined Bella's return to school and how Edward came up with his infamous "Let's take Bella to Prom" idea. Canon.


_A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns the world of Twilight exclusively – even Edward. I just keep forgetting that. _

_This is a one-shot. No point, no reason. Just fluff. Hope you like. This is what I imagine happened when Bella returned to school after the whole thingy at the ballet studio. It also offers an explanation as to how Edward came up with the whole Prom idea. _

_EDIT: Some spelling, typos and minor details._

"Are you sure that you're ready to go back, Bella?"

Edward eyed my walking cast and my bandaged forearm worriedly. "It's completely understandable if you want to take another few days off...I'm sure Charlie would be OK with that, too."

"I'm fine."

He looked extremely doubtful. To prove him how very fine I really was, I pushed the door open and threw my legs out before he had a chance to help. I rose quickly to my feet and yelped when the pain pierced my injured leg. Edward was of course there already and promptly slipped an arm around my waist supporting most of my weight. It was too late for my leg, though, and I felt my eyes water as the shockwaves of agony pulsed through my whole body. In a weak attempt to hide my discomfort from my overprotective boyfriend I just pursed my lips together and refused to meet his eyes.

"Bella..." he sighed disapprovingly but knew better than to argue me this time. We had been over this several times already this morning alone. It had been a week since I was released from the hospital in Phoenix and returned back to Forks. Lying at home and having my dad and the entire Cullen family hover over my injuries was really more than I could take. A week was definitely more than enough, thank you very much. Nothing and I mean NOTHING makes you feel more invalid and disabled than being constantly carried everywhere and having to answer questions like "how are you feeling?" and "Are you sure you're not in pain, Bella?" ten thousand times a day. And we all knew just how much I loved being the centre of any kind of attention, let alone this guild-ridden worry the Cullens were throwing upon me.

Edward, of course, was the worst of all. He had basically reinvented the words "guilt" and "self-loathing" all by himself before he even knew me, and with every passing day that he loved me he hated himself a little bit more. James' attack did nothing to ease his guilt. Edward refused to leave my side for more than few minutes at a time and it would have eventually driven me crazy had I not loved his company – and _him –_ so much. I just wished he would have seen himself as I saw him: brooding, over-bearing and more loving than any person – dead or alive – I have ever met and selfless to a point of foolishness.

I was brought from my musings with feeling of air whooshing through my ears. My vampire had apparently decided to do the walking for me and was carrying me in his arms towards the school building.

"Edward!" I hissed feverishly. "Put me down at this instant! I can walk, you know. That's what the crutches and this bulky thing in my leg are for." He stopped but did not release his hold. I glanced around trying to find out how many people had witnessed my sudden loss of dignity. Fortunately we were early and there was only handful of students in the parking lot and everyone had yet to notice our arrival.

"But you were in pain, Bella! And it's too late to try and downplay it now, I heard you by the car!" Edward's face was agonized and his eyes were black and pleading. "_Please _let me help you."

The last sentence was said so quietly that I nearly missed it. I sighed and throw my arms around his neck adjusting myself to a better position. It wasn't like I didn't like to be this close to him. I pressed my face to his neck and inhaled the honey and sunshine of his skin. I pressed a kiss to it and mumbled an unenthusiastic "Fine". I more felt than saw the smug grin that followed.

Edward didn't put me down before he stood in front of my class room. "Do you want me to carry you to your seat?" he asked gently.

"NO!" I nearly shouted and then added in a softer tone: "But thanks. I just don't want to make a scene, you know. And being carried in bridal style by you would definitely make one, I'm afraid."

He chuckled and lowered my feet carefully to the floor. He left his arm around me and I leaned to his side. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of my head and brushed my cheek with his finger.

I looked up to his onyx eyes and this time I saw only love and an ever-present hint of worry. "I'm sorry for being so difficult", I whispered to Edward. "I know you just want what's best for me."

I felt his lips pressing to mine shortly and then to my forehead. "Bella..." He didn't have to say anything else, I knew he understood.

I really didn't deserve him.

The corridor began to fill with students and with happy, mindless chatter. Of course people noticed us and my cast earned hundreds of curious glances and whispers. Only few of our fellow students had the courage to approach us though, for which could be blamed the tall, bronze- headed vampire standing by my side. He threw menacing looks to anyone who stared too long and I actually heard him snarl when Mike Newton dared to stop and say "Hi Bella". He gave one, bewildered look at us and nearly run off before I had the chance to respond.

"Behave, you!" I elbowed his ribs and remembered too late why I shouldn't have done that. "Ouch", I muttered quietly.

Edward's laughter was interrupted by Alice, who chose that moment to appear, seemingly from thin air. She gave a quick peck to her brother's cheek and enveloped me to her chilly hug. "Oh, Bella!" she sang, "it's good to see you out and about! How did you persuade Edward to let you come to school today?"

"I had nothing to do with it and you know it", I said. "But even Edward can't argue with Charlie. He decided that if I was well enough to sit in our kitchen kissing Edward instead of doing my school assignments, I was plenty good to go to school, too." I blushed and Edward tickled my side.

"He didn't need to know that there is very few things in this world which affect to his daughter's kissing capabilities, and being severely injured, heavily medicated and only partly conscious are not amongst them," Edward teased, clearly remembering my attempts to kiss him mere minutes after waking up from medically induced coma at the hospital in Phoenix.

"Har-har" I muttered, my cheeks blazing.

The Cullens left me to go to their classes, Edward brushing my cheek and promising to meet me at lunch. He had somehow managed to bring my crutches while carrying me from the car and I wobbled with them to my place in the class room.

"Bella! You're back!"

I internally flinched for Jessica's over-enthusiastic greeting. I offered her an embarrassed smile and a nod. "So it would seem".

You did not need Edward's mind-reading abilities to tell that she was nearly bursting with curiosity and the hunger for a juicy gossip. She took her seat next to mine and waited me to arrange my crutches next to our desk before attacking.

"WHERE did you guys go?" she started, eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as she took in my broken leg and neatly wrapped arm. "I mean, nobody knew – even the teachers were clueless – I mean did you guys actually go to Phoenix? And HOW did you break your leg?"

I glanced to the door before answering. Why were the teachers always late when you actually needed them?

"Uhm...Yeah, we went to Phoenix. I mean, It was only me at first, but Edward and his dad kind of followed me there..."

"Did you guys break up?" Jessica's tone wasn't as sympathetic as she probably meant it to be. I could only wonder how fast rumours ran here.

"We are still together with Edward, if that's what you mean", I side-stepped, but Jessica wasn't to be fooled.

"But you weren't at the time, were you? Lauren's mum talked to your dad the other day when she saw him at the Diner, and she told Lauren and me...I mean, it wasn't like I was spying or anything..." she giggled. I almost decided not to answer at all. On the other hand, silence had never worked with Jessica and I had a cover-up story to keep up.

"Yes. We had a...erm...minor crisis and I kind of freaked out and decided to go and see my mum for a while. I guess I forgot to mention it to my dad." I let out a fake giggle feigning embarrassment. "Edward over-reacted a little and ran after me and his dad caught him at the airport and refused to let him go on his own. So they flew to Phoenix, checked in a hotel and I agreed to meet Edward there. Elevators were broken and I had to use stairs and that's when I fell. I had to stay in hospital in Phoenix before they could transfer me here. The end." I babbled the rest of my story with bored tone, this time completely genuine. I had told the same saga several times already and almost believed it myself, because - let's just be honest here - it could have easily happened, at least the part where I supposedly fell down the stairs. Jess seemed to agree: she didn't have any more questions. For now. I exhaled in my relief when the teacher finally started the class.

I actually enjoyed being back to routine and having something else than the tragic last few weeks to think about, even calculus. The class was over before I noticed and I started to gather my belongings. Jessica had turned around to talk to one of our class mates so I was safe from her inquisition. I bent in my chair to get my crutches just to realize that a pair of smooth, white hands had already beaten me there. Edward stood there, grinning widely and holding my school back in his other hand, crutches in another.

"I thought you tried to keep up some appearances", I whispered when he bent to help me up. "You definitely weren't there five seconds ago!" Not that I minded one bit. And to my surprise nobody had really noticed his sudden arrival.

Edward just laughed to my face, helped my bag to my back and ruffled my hair. "It's not my fault that you are extremely unobservant", he quoted himself.

"Bella, Edward?" We turned around to face Jessica who had caught us before stepping outside of the classroom. "I'm having a birthday party on Friday – I was just wondering if you guys wanted to come."

"We would love to, thank you!" said the tall, handsome vampire by my side, who hugely resembled my boyfriend but was clearly some kind of chancheling – the Edward _I_ knew would never in a million years take a part in any kind of free time activity the teenagers these days busied themselves with, let alone a party in a closed space with dozens of drunken, overly hormonal high school kids. I stared at him with my mouth open, unable to form words. Turns out I didn't even have to.

"Great!" Jess chirped. "This is the invitation card, the address is there." She threw a flirtatious smile to Edward, said "See you later, Bella" and danced off.

I finally managed to relocate my vocal chords and turned to Edward with disbelieving face. "'We would love to'? Really?"

"Have you ever been to a teen party, Bella?" he asked back.

"No, but – "

"Well, don't you think it's something you'd like to experience while you still are one?"

"No, I really think I will be just fine without that particular human experience, thank you very much", I scoffed. "And where are you taking me?" I realized that instead of leading me to my next class, Edward was escorting me towards the front doors – outside.

"Your next class is cancelled, I'm afraid. Your English teacher is off sick. That's what I came to tell you."

"That, and to graciously accept Jessica's invitation", I couldn't help but add, staring the floor ahead of me, very annoyed. Edward stopped just before the doors and turned to face me. He lifted my chin up with his slender forefinger making me meet his gaze. I could see hints of laughter peeking through all that love and worry. And I also realised that he really needed to hunt.

"You really don't want to go? Even for me?"

"Do _you_ want to go?" I asked. He only shrugged.

"Edward..."

"Bella, I would only want to be there for _you_. I just don't want you to miss anything because of me – I want you to spend time with your friends, too."

"But you _are_ my fr-"

"Your other friends, Bella. Other humans." I did not like the direction where this discussion was heading. We'd been there before and it had a name – impasse.

I bit my lip and gazed back to his pleading eyes. I could have told him that I didn't really care about any other company but his, and would be perfectly content to spend rest of my life seeing only him and nobody else – well, maybe Alice and my dad occasionally – but I knew that for some reason he didn't want to hear that.

"Please, Bella. For me." His voice was nearly inaudible and I couldn't find even a trace of laughter from his eyes.

"Fine. But if you are so into Jessica you could have just said so, you know," I teased. My giggle was muffled by his sudden, fervent kiss to my lips. Before long my head was spinning and even my uninjured leg felt weak. Good thing that Edward's arms were tightly wrapped up around me. He removed his lips from mine and swung me onto his arms like earlier this morning, crutches and school bag and all. He pressed his mouth to my ear and whispered: "I already have a girlfriend and she is very possessive of me. I don't think she is prepared to share."

"Darn right, she isn't."

Edward stepped outside, laughing again and sat down to one of the garden benches at the school yard. I settled happily into his lap, resting my broken leg on the bench in front of me.

"So you are going, then?" he asked.

"Only if you are."

"I wouldn't dream of letting you go alone. Mike Newton has a tendency forget his place if I'm not there to remind him. Or all the other male guests, for that matter."

"Whoa. Talk about possessive!"

"You are too delicious for your own good, Bella dear".

"I'm pretty sure you're the only guy who is able to properly appreciate that particular side of me."

Edward buried his nose in to my hair and mumbled: "Not true, Bella...if you only knew..."

I didn't enjoy that image very much and shuddered. "Ew."

"So..." Edward trailed off. "Now when we have that settled – how would you like to spend your free period?"

"Like this". I gestured to us with the hand that wasn't wrapped around his neck. Sadly, it would have been too good to be true.

"So, Bella..." I suddenly heard behind my back. I turned in Edwards lap to see Alice sitting right next to us, smiling. "I was thinking that your blue blouse would be perfect for the occasion."

"Excuse me?"

"Jessica's party. There's no theme and it's going to be fairly casual, so..."

I groaned and felt Edward laugh behind my back. "Why do I have the feeling that I'm going to regret agreeing to this?"

"You won't, Bella. I promise." Alice smiled happily at me. "Seriously, I think that you will have a really good time in the party."

"You _think_? Do you mean that you don't know for sure?"

"I mean that I can't see it very clearly...something's blocking my sight..."Alice trailed off and Edward was suddenly very worried.

"What is it Alice? I won't take Bella there if there's even remote possibility of a danger! Why is she suddenly fading? Why am I fading with her?"

"I don't think you need to worry, Edward," Alice tried to console him. "You both appear clearly again moments later, completely unharmed. If there were other vampires or anything like that I would see it."

"But you're not 100% sure, are you?" he demanded.

"Well, no, but..."

"I don't like the fog around that vision of yours at all. We are not going." Edward's tone had a ring of finality in it. He turned me to face him in his lap. "I'm sorry, Bella. Are you disappointed?"

I stared at him incredulously. "Did you listen to me at all earlier? I didn't want to go at all in the first place."

"I know, but...the human experience..."

"I've had plenty of those already, thanks. I wouldn't even know anyone in there."

"Except for the kids from LaPush – Jessica was sending invitations to them, too," Alice amended.

Edward still looked worried and didn't say anything for a while. Then he smiled at me, still a little ruefully, and kissed my nose. "I will make this up to you, Bella," he promised.

"Edward, you don't have to..."

"Yes, I do, and I will." He exchanged a quick glance with Alice and suddenly I wasn't sure if I wanted to know about his plan at all.

"It's a great plan!" Alice chirped and clapped her hands excitedly. "And you are going to look amazing, Bella!"

"Don't tell her," Edward warned. "I want it to be a surprise!"

"But I don't like surprises," I whined.

"Humour me."

I groaned. "That's unfair! You know I'd do anything for you." It sounded sappy and unbelievably cheesy, but it was also very true and we all knew it – I had proved it quite recently.

"Yes, I do know that, my Bella. That is why I said it". His breath brushed my cheek and made me shudder with pleasure.

"You are in trouble, I hope you know." My threat didn't sound threatening at all. Edward's grin grew devious.

"I'm counting on it."


End file.
